Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

go down in flames

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.02 in modern English

Syllables
go -down in flames
IPA
24
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
2
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To fail miserably and with long-term consequences.

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see go, down, in, flames: descend while aflame, crash and burn, etc.

Example Sentences

Etymology

The figurative sense is by metaphor from the literal sense. Attested since the early 20th century, ever since aeroplanes appeared but especially since World War I, when shooting them out of the sky first became a widespread thing.

Inflected Forms

goes down in flames (present, singular) going down in flames (participle, present) went down in flames (past) gone down in flames (participle, past)

Phrases

crash down come crashing down go up in flames in flames

Frequently Paired Words

aflame crash down come crashing down go up in flames in flames

Synonyms

crash and burn

Questions

What does go down in flames mean?
To fail miserably and with long-term consequences.
Where does go down in flames come from?
The figurative sense is by metaphor from the literal sense. Attested since the early 20th century, ever since aeroplanes appeared but especially since World War I, when shooting them out of the sky first became a widespread thing.

How to pronounce go down in flames

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “go down in flames”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “go down in flames”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “go down in flames” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.